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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to bend
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lean — thin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spell — magic
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — letters
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com